Would you prefer Rooney in a midfield of 2 (4231)?... or do you prefer him in a midfield of 3 (433)?
Wayne Rooney, The Midfield General? Mourinho Says No.
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This post is what is really wrong with some fans. This is description of a young Rooney. Rooney just had a good game, while he plays differently to this description, but now we should use him the way his peak physicality used to be.
I do think it becomes personal with Rooney, people just don't like him. Therefore it doesn't matter even if he has a good game, it will never be good enough
I never described how Rooney played I simply stated some of the qualities he has. Rooney is massively better than he's made out to be on here. He, didn't just have a good game, he's had a string of good games for months now and as I said I'm sure Mourinho will have him well in his plans whether it be playing box to box or more advanced.
Like half of those quality you described is no longer Rooney's edge: good at beating his man, drive the ball forward... Even good engine is also debatable nowadays as Rooney tends to do noticeably better in one half than the other. I don't argue about Mourinho finding a role for Rooney. Your statement of Rooney's nowadays quality is what I argue about.
Regarding "For months" statement, please read the performance thread.
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no its got to the point where his status/achievements/service at united is cemented, and its incredible no question. However time moves on and the club need to aswell. Its crossed over into territory of what's good for the player and not the team, I'm a Manchester United fan and have seen legends come and go, I don't understand why we are a charity case for someone who has passed his best, it didn't used to be this way. We were ruthless, and successful.
what would a 16 year old Rooney have thought about an ageing Everton legend past his best keeping him out of the side?
If you're going to suggest Rooney can't move the ball forward and that he doesn't still have fantastic work rate then you're simply wrong.
Just because the majority of people on here think Rooney doesn't perform (the performance thread shows that) doesn't mean any of them are right. What football with your own eyes, not everyone else's.
Still unproven there against top, top quality teams - but I have no problem with him playing there in the rest of our games if he keeps these performance levels up.
Been very good for England so far and, aside from a couple of blips, was pretty good for us this season post-injury.
Been very good for England so far and, aside from a couple of blips, was pretty good for us this season post-injury.
Average vs a less than average team.
Does the OP really think Rooney was good today??
You're being funny. Your statement is Rooney is good at beating his man and driving forward and he should be box to box, attacking midfielder.... This is silly wrong in regarding to the past Rooney's good games in midfield. He lost his edge at beating his man easily, that's why he is playing deeper where his (often medium & long) passing/ switch play pass and vision shines. He does drive forward and beat some man, but no way it's considering good for the attacking midfielder role. (Today he is tidy with his touch and short passing too which is a huge plus in OP argument)
Ironically, see thread title and OP tend to suggest the idea where Rooney should have a more calming role in midfield using his passing and vision than the quality you stated. I agree with the OP here and disagree with yours. Please apply your conclusion sentence to yourself.
Rooney has done so much for the club... I don't get all the hate.
Is he a world class midfielder? NO... but we could do way worse. He is the type of guy that every team needs. He can wear many hats and has proven that he is a winner. Not everybody can be Harry Kane or Bale in their prime.
Is he a world class midfielder? NO... but we could do way worse. He is the type of guy that every team needs. He can wear many hats and has proven that he is a winner. Not everybody can be Harry Kane or Bale in their prime.
He was good there today.
I'm not being funny at all. Rooney regularly beat his man today. Beat several men to set up the equaliser in the final, and there are plenty of other occasions in which he beats his man.
Also you don't know what irony is, furthering discussion beyond just Rooneys passing ability isn't ironic at all.
I'm not going to respond further because Germany are on and you're not really reading what I'm putting because it doesn't fit your narrative of Rooney can't beat a man or run apparently.
I can''t agree - he wasn't bad, but he certainly wasn't good for me. The game is so slow with him. His chips out to the wing just give the opposition time to get back in position. Too often passes are slightly behind the receiving player (though all were guilty of this today) slowing the game down and giving the opposition time to get into position...........
I see that we don't have a real CM, but he'll be wasted there against a better team. More to the point though, that we have no one else to play CM is a shocker.
I see that we don't have a real CM, but he'll be wasted there against a better team. More to the point though, that we have no one else to play CM is a shocker.
To question his current ability as a footballer or to criticise his performances does not equate to hate (I wish people would stop talking about hate or scapegoats when constructive criticism is made of a player). No one is questioning the player he used to be, or what he has done for the club in the past. But just because he used to be a great player doesn't mean he should be given a free pass now. To blindly accept he's still good because he once was is resting on ones laurels and will only end up with us stagnating because we're not actively looking to improve on what we have. To say we can do "way worse" isn't a ringing endorsement either. Of course we can do worse, you can always do worse, but the more pertinent question is can we do better? And for me that's a resounding yes.
He has a sat nav passing range
This new role for him looks to have given him a new lease of life and could extend his career at the highest level for a few more years Atleast.
Not every footballer can reinvent themselves in different roles especially this late in the game.. So credit to Rooney for that. True World Class footballer.
He has always put the team first above his own aspirations.. Ronaldo for example would never accept not being the "the main man" anymore on a team. Rooney is a good captain.
Mourinho must be drooling at this.. He has a massive hard-on for Rooney he tried to sign him after all.
This new role for him looks to have given him a new lease of life and could extend his career at the highest level for a few more years Atleast.
Not every footballer can reinvent themselves in different roles especially this late in the game.. So credit to Rooney for that. True World Class footballer.
He has always put the team first above his own aspirations.. Ronaldo for example would never accept not being the "the main man" anymore on a team. Rooney is a good captain.
Mourinho must be drooling at this.. He has a massive hard-on for Rooney he tried to sign him after all.
Whatever. See you next time with your watching football eye who can't distinguish better quality from not distinguishable edge.
With two quality midfielders with him, i wouldn't be all that opposed to him playing their for us next season.
No not at all merely the statement that he is a realistic option for us to get.
Not in a million years no matter what kind of money we throw at him or Juve, Pogba isnt coming here.
I disagree, but that's fair.
Wow! Wow!! Just wow!!! We better give him a 10 year contract to keep him off the paws of Real!
He's not capable. On his very best days in midfield he's decent but not amazing, but Rooney has always had a problem with consistency of form. He can get away with it up front because others can pick up there slack, but in midfield it's going to kill us. Centre mid requires a high level of play in every game, if we go 5 - 10 games with him out of form we're fecked.
Its not really his fault that his managers tell him to play in midfield now is it? You cry that he keeps players who are far better out of the team, but then at the same time, who are these 'better players' you talk about? Fellaini? Herrera? Schweni? Really, these players have been inconsistent all season...and you complain that Rooney is keeping them out of the squad. Don't talk about why Rooney is playing in midfield as if you personally know the man. Wogson and LVG thought he was the best option for midfield and the played him there. Simple. And when he did, he's looked good so far, so exactly whats the problem?
Tsk. And those who say 'he will struggle when a team presses him' need to lend me their psychic eyes which help them see into the future. You telling me that when Rooney plays not a single player presses him to win back the ball...they just stand back and let him pass it forward. All right then.
He is quite simply the best midfielder at United, in the performances he's put in he has put natural midfielders to shame, Herrera, Bastian, schneiderlin to name but a few but alas it is flavour of the month to say Rooney is poor on this forum.
I think the problem with this reply and thread is that you are congratulating a very average performance against a very poor football opposition.It's Wales for christ sake.
Even if his future lies in midfield what gives you the impression it is good enough for United? I very much believe Rooney can perform as a midfield general if he was in the championship. We wouldn't get this sort of kneejerk reaction if it was against a team like spain because we all know how that result would turn out. Rooney was also an exception at United because he was a captain not because he is better than our other midfielders. Benching rooney would have caused extra problems for Van gaal that he didn't need.
You guys really need to let go of this Rooney midfield solution because it can never work for a team trying to be the best in this league. Rooney just can't wake up one morning and decide to play like Toni kroos.
Better than Schweinsteiger? Biggest Joke I've heard today. Thanks for the laugh.
As average as schweinsteiger was he kept our team very composed.
Wow someone wants to nosh off Rooney.
When did I say I know the man? That I made assumptions or outlandish statements to suggest I've got the inside track? Please quote me on it, I'm eager to know where you got this from, just a little quote will do.
He plays because he's Wayne Rooney, he most certainly doesn't play because he's always been this shit hot midfielder. Why else would Hodgson decide to play Rooney in midfield in the first game of the tournament, inspite of playing him as a striker or #10 throughout all the qualifiers and friendlies? You've heard it from the horses mouth, Rooney WILL play every game he's available. It's irrelevant if he scores 10 own goals in a match Roy would pick him the next game regardless. Why? Because he's Wayne Rooney.
It's not about being physic, it's about having at least a limited capacity to make predictions based on what you've seen, it's how the world works mate. Like I wouldn't need a crystal ball to beleive Messi would struggle in the air against Smalling, try using your brain yeah?
It's the summer. There are no United games showing so the cafe needs to come up with something.
I think it's impossible for some people to forget his past excellence. They can't view him as just "a footballer" and judge the performance itself.
If he was a new signing, i'd probably suggest most would think his play was current day Schweinsteiger esque, ie fairly solid, but a bit uninspired, and not much threat.
If he was a new signing, i'd probably suggest most would think his play was current day Schweinsteiger esque, ie fairly solid, but a bit uninspired, and not much threat.
One guys opinion. Missed the game but the first two places I checked for ratings (BBC and Sky) both gave him 8/10
Edit: Make that the first 4, Guardian and Express also gave him 8. Think it's fair to say he was good.
So much baggage. He looks comfortable there and seems to me to be growing into the role. Wayne doing well is a good thing, no? Is anyone suggesting he should be left out?
he asked Hodgson to play him in midfield on the eve of the tournament because he knows his striker days are over, and Rooney himself tells reporters he is a midfielder now, because he 'studied' Scholes and has 'football intelligence' etc. Rooney has pitched this, not the managers
infact wasn't it reported he was in a huff having to player striker at Carrow rd when Martial got injured?
Where do you prefer Rooney?
Option A (CAM in 4231):
Rooney
CDM - CM
Option B (CM in 4231):
CAM
Rooney - CDM
Option C (CM in 433):
Rooney - CM
CDM
Rooney
CDM - CM
Option B (CM in 4231):
CAM
Rooney - CDM
Option C (CM in 433):
Rooney - CM
CDM
Not bad.
Can we just stop all this midfield nonsense with Rooney, if he is staying then can he stay as 2-3 rd choice striker, rather than first choice midfielder, I'm sure he'll be useful off the bench and in a injury crisis, and still pay his way with all the sponsorship stuff, but long term Rooney in midfield just make we want to sigh.
He has been Englands best player this tourni
I'd like to see him in a 442 as the most advanced cm. With 2 CFS with one dropping off. Eg cantona Cole and Keane scholes. He'll never be a scholes/lampard but he has got an eye of a goal.
I really dislike 2 defensive MFs, I just don't think it gives balance to the team going forward. Call me old fashioned but the new fangled formations just confuse the players when they're asked to multiple rolls.
I really dislike 2 defensive MFs, I just don't think it gives balance to the team going forward. Call me old fashioned but the new fangled formations just confuse the players when they're asked to multiple rolls.
Debatable. I'd say Walker has been better personally.
Even though he's playing well?
Rooney was fine in CM today and against Russia. He played a beautiful peach of a ball over the top to Alli in the 2nd half that would have put him through on goal, which was miscontrolled. He pinged balls out wide to Walker, which seemed very clearly like a managerial instruction and a recognition of where Wales was conceding space as the entire team looked to give the ball to Walker consistently and he was actually a very useful attacking threat today. He has demonstrated a willingness and ability to track back and defend when not in possession as well.
None of that means he put on a masterclass level performance or that he deserves to be a nailed on starter for United at CM, but I think it's ridiculous to rubbish the possibility at all because against select good teams that have the balls to press us he might struggle. Maybe that will be the case and maybe it won't but he at least deserves a chance to prove himself in that role. If Mourinho decides it's not worth it, then fair enough and regardless of what he thinks about Wayne in that role we should be strengthening in CM anyways.
People can say it was just Wales, Russia, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, etc. but the fact is he was good in those games when his teammates weren't necessarily covering themselves in glory against the very same opposition. That does count for something even if we still can't be sure of his ability to be effective in CM against higher quality opposition. I'd also say that playing well in that role in a cup final, especially with his run to create the equalizer late on should count for a bit more than simply being brushed under the rug because "it was just Crystal Palace".
None of that means he put on a masterclass level performance or that he deserves to be a nailed on starter for United at CM, but I think it's ridiculous to rubbish the possibility at all because against select good teams that have the balls to press us he might struggle. Maybe that will be the case and maybe it won't but he at least deserves a chance to prove himself in that role. If Mourinho decides it's not worth it, then fair enough and regardless of what he thinks about Wayne in that role we should be strengthening in CM anyways.
People can say it was just Wales, Russia, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, etc. but the fact is he was good in those games when his teammates weren't necessarily covering themselves in glory against the very same opposition. That does count for something even if we still can't be sure of his ability to be effective in CM against higher quality opposition. I'd also say that playing well in that role in a cup final, especially with his run to create the equalizer late on should count for a bit more than simply being brushed under the rug because "it was just Crystal Palace".